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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29802666">The Rickoning</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWasp1995/pseuds/TheWasp1995'>TheWasp1995</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rick and Morty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Dark Past, Drunk Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty), Morally Ambiguous Character, Other, Personal Growth, Young Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:49:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,884</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29802666</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWasp1995/pseuds/TheWasp1995</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Season 4. Unbeknownst to Rick Sanchez C-137, a dark plot against him has been taking shape and is now set to spring the jaws of its deadly trap. And with it will reveal the truth about Rick and the entirety of his past and the world around him. Rated M for graphic depictions of violence.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Introduction- Who Needs You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Well, hello everyone.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>To those of you who follow my work this may come as unexpected surprise. I am a big fan of Rick and Morty but up until a few weeks ago I'd never seriously considered writing a story for the fandom. But given the circumstances- the worldwide pandemic, a dark, cold winter and various other shit I figured this was a good avenue to channel my creative energies.</strong>
</p><p><strong>To those who've never seen me in the fandom before, </strong> <strong>well..I hope you enjoy haha.</strong></p><p>
  <strong>A quick background: this prologue if you will is actually based on Rick and Morty Issue 40 of the comics, which I found far more disturbing than any of the actual episodes believe it or not. So if you ask yourself 'what the fuck is this?' you can read it for free online. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Lastly, I'd be lying if I said anticipation of season 5 wasn't killing me or the possible arcs that could come with it. We all have theories about the show and this is basically my spin on that. I can only pray my writing skills are up to task as Justin Roiland, Dan Harmon, and the writing team are very good at what they do especially with quick, witty references and jokes.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>So, let's see how this goes. Onward!</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>"And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."- Paul Coelho</em>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>Chapter 1. Who Needs You</strong> </span>
</p><p>Morty tossed and turned fruitlessly before giving up altogether on the prospect of sleep. In all honesty, he wasn't sure he wanted to.</p><p>Nightmares. They had been growing worse lately. For any other ordinary fourteen year old teenage boy this would be related to something such as school work or girls (Jessica usually popped up in the pleasant ones) or some other such embarrassing situation. For Morty Smith, however, life could never be considered ordinary. Not when one had a genius scientist for a grandfather around.</p><p>For the past year or so he'd become the unofficial companion of the smartest man in the entire universe, Rick Sanchez. Odder still, he was also his closest friend though the word 'friend' would be considered somewhat subjective. Rick didn't really do friendship. The unique paradox of the situation made for an equally unique lifestyle for Morty: grandfathers were supposed to be kindly, wise, and a source of comfort for their grandchildren. Adventures with his own were anything but . As he neared his fifteenth birthday, the sheer amount of wonders and horrors (sometimes both) had begun to take their toll: he'd saved a cloud of atoms from being assassinated, been regurgitated at by an alien at a day spa, battled time traveling snakes, took part in a purge, alongside witnessing countless war, famine, and death...so much death. Some of which he'd been required to commit.</p><p>Rick's cavalier and nihilistic attitude towards the world usually meant there was some other explanation for these incidents. If not, casual indifference amounted to the commonly uttered phrase 'don't think about it'. If Morty were to be completely honest with himself, the side effects of the relationship had been largely one sided. His grandfather remained a cynical, selfish, brilliant scientist with a voracious appetite for alcohol while he in turn had adopted some of the same cynicism in addition to a certain degree of ruthlessness and technical competency in some of Rick's gadgetry.</p><p>But whatever the case, Morty had still not entirely abandoned his sense of morality. That yes, some things did <em>matter</em>, and whether Rick wanted to admit that or not he too cared about certain matters of the world.</p><p>
  <em>I can't take this anymore</em>
</p><p>Morty flipped off his bedsheets, put on one of his trademark yellow shirts to go over his pajama pants and set off for the garage, unconcerned with waking up his parents and sister. He knew the family dynamic by now that whatever he and Rick did wasn't going to be questioned all that often.</p><p>Pitter pattering down the steps and into the kitchen he took a quick glance at a picture placed on the refrigerator. The darkness of the night prevented the full details from being discerned but he'd seen it enough times to know what it was: the only family photo with the five of them acting somewhat normal, normal being the subjective word. Summer was duck lipping for the selfie, his dad placed an awkward arm around his mom who looked equally so, Rick raising his flask in a reluctant show of acknowledgement, while Morty stood stock still attempting some form of an easy going smile that came off more as a grimace. A perfect encapsulation of the Smith-Sanchez clan.</p><p>
  <em>But we're still family. And now, I need to reunite another </em>
</p><p>He cautiously opened the door leading from the narrow hallway into the garage, double checking that Rick hadn't laid any traps for any unsuspecting or unfortunate soul who happened to wander in. If there's one thing being around his grandfather taught him, it was to expect the unexpected and never assume you knew anything about anyone, especially in this case.</p><p>Thankfully, there were no ominous robotic intruder alerts or explosions so Morty hedged his bet and opened the door to Rick's bedroom. He was 75% percent sure nothing would happen. Reasonable odds all things considering.</p><p>The bedroom wasn't really a 'room' per say as it was an elongated, dusty storage closet with a cot smack dab in the middle. For the smartest man in the universe, Rick wasn't usually attached to luxury and hadn't really bothered to give himself much in the way of creature comforts in this particular space. Morty peered over the side for the purpose of checking whether or not any cans of beer were laying around. Thankfully, this seemed to be one of the few nights Rick decided not to indulge in any binge drinking and the lack of snores was further indication. It also slightly raised the odds for what he had in mind.</p><p>"Rick," he whispered, nudging his grandfather as gently as possible. "Rick, wake up."</p><p>"Murmmm...eh...that's right...keep rubbing…"</p><p>"Eh-what?"</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>Rick slowly raised himself off the cot rubbing his eyes. Unlike during the day, he wore no white labcoat again preferring the simpleness of a wifebeater and sweatpants.</p><p>"M-Morty?" he asked groggily. "What are you doing up this late? Why are you in my bedroom?"</p><p>"I-I couldn't sleep, Rick. You know, I uh...I've been having nightmares."</p><p>Rick heaved a tired sigh and flopped back down on the bed.</p><p>"This is something you're supposed to bother your parents about not me," he grumbled in his pillow. "And even then it's only acceptable at age <em>four</em> not fourteen. Otherwise it's just plain weird."</p><p>But Morty wasn't about to give up yet. Sometimes persistence could be enough with his grandfather.</p><p>"It's about something that happened a little while ago."</p><p>"Gonna have to be a little bit more specific there, Morty. 'Stuff' happens to us every day."</p><p>"Oh-ohkay fine. Remember that stupid Hunger Games style reality show you made us go on just so you could land in an alien spa run by some guy you wanted to get back at?"</p><p>Rick was barely awake by now.</p><p>"Sorta rings a bell," he said, lazily flopping over to one side.</p><p>"You made me kill that kid, Rick. His name was...Eli...or something. I had to strangle him with my bare hands just so you could achieve some petty revenge on a guy who knocked a drink out of your hand. I-I can't get out of my head, we have to do something."</p><p>"Like what?"</p><p>"You can make a clone in under three hours, I've seen you do it. What if we went to another dimension where he's alive, make a copy and send him back to his family."</p><p>"I-It would be easier to take the memory gun and just erase it. Better for everyone involved."</p><p>"I'm not doing 'Morty's Mindblowers' again. Not after the last time."</p><p>"Fine. Whatever."</p><p>Morty became exasperated as reasoning transformed into pleading.</p><p>"Please, Rick. I can't live with myself knowing I did something like that. It's one thing to kill all the bad guys on our adventures but that kid was innocent. What's the harm?"</p><p>"The harm?" the irritated scientist asked in a not so hypothetical mocking tone. "The harm could be anything. His kind could hunt humans or eat livers or some other random sci-fi horror that comes out of Stephen King's basement. What do I always tell you, Morty? Don't think about it. You're better off not knowing."</p><p>"But-"</p><p>A simple yawn from Rick was enough to end the conversation.</p><p>"Jesus, I thought it was my job to wake you up in the middle of the night. At least when I do it we end up doing something halfway interesting. Not whenever your oversensitive scruples suddenly take over every rational thought your head is capable of having. Now...good night."</p><p>A harsh rebuke but not altogether unexpected. Even sober, his grandfather didn't have much of an altruistic streak, which Morty mentally noted. He was used to those kind of put downs by now even if some of them still hurt at times. The difference was, he had options this time around.</p><p>As Rick rolled onto his other side and drifted back off to sleep the fourteen year old suddenly had an idea. Closing the door gently behind him and slipping back out of the musty, funky smelling garage, he tapped the intergalactic watch Rick gave him for his last birthday. Instantly a holographic of every contact with his phone popped up and began scrolling.</p><p>"Don't wanna help? Fine, Rick. I don't need you for this one," Morty said with the smallest of smirks. "I know exactly who to call."</p><hr/><p>Mom always knew what to do.</p><p>Well, it wasn't <em>his </em>mom technically but then again there was no real way of knowing. In this case, indifference was the right policy. If one version of Beth wanted to fight tyranny in outer space while the other remained on earth taking care of the family it was a-ok with him. One still wore her typical red shirt and jeans acting as the breadwinner the other helped during sci-fi adventures. A win-win.</p><p>"So if I understand this correctly, you want me to clone a creature and or being that you were forced to murder in cold blood on a reality TV show requiring you to murder all the other contestants in order to win a day at a luxurious alien spa?"</p><p>They were standing outside the home in the dark. Morty had already dressed himself alongside a light jacket to protect himself from the slight chill in the air. Though it was spring, fully warm nights had not yet arrived in the Pacific Northwest. Space Beth looked down on him curiously, the moonlight tracing a highlighted pathway down the scar that grazed her cheek, body armor and gadgetry twinkling in the blackness of the night.</p><p>"Pretty much, yeah," came the lame reply.</p><p>"Typical," Space Beth said, shaking her head. "Also typical of my father to turn himself into inanimate objects yelling out triumphantly before killing them."</p><p>"What's typical about that?" Morty asked, a note of digust in his normally timid voice.</p><p>"The fact that he would do that at all," came the bored, snarky reply. "Christ Morty, how many adventures have you been on with my father by now?"</p><p>Morty shivered from a slight, nightly breeze, huddling himself up.</p><p>"You two really are a lot alike," he commented.</p><p>"True but there's one key difference between us," Space Beth countered as she took out an advanced looking circular pad with a greenish screen and multi colored buttons. "I haven't stopped giving a shit."</p><p>Setting the pad on her forearm armor she spoke into it.</p><p>"Iris, search for all the murder contest shows throughout the galaxy, stat."</p><p>"<strong>Yes, Beth,</strong>" a robotic voice obeyed.</p><p>Beth turned back towards Morty.</p><p>"It's like the space version of Siri except without the snarkiness," she explained. "In any case, it also has a nitonium power core and can scan frequencies light years away from us. We'll find that show soon enough."</p><p>Morty could barely keep up with the fast moving images that showed up on the screen. Then again the idea that so many of these kinds of competitions existed was disturbing in itself.</p><p>"Wait! G-go back."</p><p>He spotted an insectoid looking alien with an eye like Mike Wazowski from Monster's Inc with black slicked back hair, crisp suit, and multiple arms.</p><p>"That's the one."</p><p>"<em>Survival Arena Murder Time</em>," Space Beth read aloud. "Real original. When did you and Rick participate?"</p><p>"About four months ago or so?"</p><p>Sometimes adventures with Rick tended to run together they had been on so many by now, but he was relatively sure on that timing.</p><p>Beth propped down a scanner over her scarred eye and a holographic screen expanded to show a list of the contestants. Rick and Morty's images popped up first given that they were the winners. Though there were over sixty species involved he had no trouble identifying the face of the poor creature he'd been forced to kill in cold blood.</p><p>"That's him," Morty said, willing himself not to cry. "H-he's the one."</p><p>The creature, so named 'Eli', resembled a humanoid elephant with innocent eyes and an ever present smile with yellowish skin and a standard red baseball cap.</p><p>"Well if I had reservations before, I'm definitely going to help now," Space Beth said, a hint of disgust in her normally cool, apathetic tone. "This kid was twelve years old. Kidnapped by the sleazebags who run this fucked up show knowing full well he wouldn't survive."</p><p>The holograms disappeared and Space Beth pulled out a high tech pistol and cocked it.</p><p>"Let's roll."</p><p>"Sooo w-what are we going to do?"</p><p>"Return Eli to his family that's what."</p><p>"But we'd need his DNA to clone him and where are we going to get that?"</p><p>They began walking down the street with Beth's quick, feminine strides already outpacing her son.</p><p>"Morty, you're talking to a version of your mother who was neglectful enough to abandon her family yet at the same devoted her life to ending tyranny across the multiverse and remain as of now the only human offspring of the smartest man in the universe. Trust me, I got this."</p><p>The contradictory nature of the statement was not lost on Morty but he didn't question it. He'd learned as much by now.</p><p>"Are we going to steal Rick's ship or something?" he asked as they continued down the partially cracked sidewalk.</p><p>"Please, I don't need to steal that trash can in order to go where we're going. One of the perks of joining the rebellion against the Galactic Federation…"</p><p>She whipped out a black fob with a few high tech buttons and clicked one of them.</p><p>"...is that you get a pretty badass ship to fly around in."</p><p>Without warning, what looked like a high tech, sleeker version of an X-Wing appeared on an empty parking spot at the conclusion of a dead end road. Except the cockpit was much larger and held enough room for a group of people instead of one. The design was much more streamlined with a single central engine instead of two with midnight black paint covering the entirety of the steel exterior. It was highly impressive looking to say the least.</p><p>"Whoa…" Morty said in awe.</p><p>"Just do me a favor and don't tell your grandfather. He already despises anything to do with Star Wars."</p><p>Space Beth gave him the smallest of encouraging smirks which Morty took as a good sign. Without another word, the two hopped into the hatch, took off and flew upwards into the vastness of the Milky Way.</p><hr/><p>The process for cloning had been a bit more grisly than Morty had imagined: since this version of his mother did not have a portal gun or go to alternate dimensions, they were required to unearth the child's remains which were buried on a moon that orbited 'Traxon 7' the planet where the contest took place. The bodies were unceremoniously dumped and buried half heartedly on a surface entirely made of barren dust and rock. Even with his own run-ins with death, a party of the poor boy never truly got used to the feeling of seeing a dead body, especially not one of a child.</p><p>But the reward was well worth the price of admission. Space Beth had designed her own cloning machine and after a few hours (in which he'd also helped with the process) a brand new 'Eli' was reborn and delivered back to his home planet aptly named Loxodonta.</p><p>"Where we goin?" came the innocent tone of the happy little boy. Most normal people were extremely disoriented after being cloned but he seemed to take it all in stride.</p><p>"It's okay, Eli. We're taking you back home," Morty assured him, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder.</p><p>"Okay!"</p><p>Beth rolled her eyes in the front of the cockpit as she drove the knock off X-Wing as fast as humanly possible.</p><p>"Real intelligent one you found there, eh?"</p><p>Morty felt a surge of scrupulous passion swelling up inside him.</p><p>"I don't care. He didn't deserve to die like that. Especially not for the purpose of getting petty revenge on someone."</p><p>"Let's just hope his species is as innocent as they seem," she muttered back. "I'm not in the mood for a cute yet secretly evil society that wants to chop us up or roast us over an open fire."</p><p>"Aren't elephants plant eaters?"</p><p>"Never assume anything."</p><p>Morty was about to comment that she sounded just like Rick when a green flash began blinking to indicate they were arriving at their destination.</p><p>The planet, predictably, was a broad mix of climates and ecosystem most akin to real elephant species- plains, savannahs, forests, thick jungles as far as the eye could see. It didn't take long for Beth to find who the child's parents were in the DNA database and soon they touched down on the grassy surface of a spread out savannah. Except there was a fence surrounding it and there was a straw house with a thatched roof in the middle.</p><p>"Okay, Eli. Time to go, buddy," Morty said encouragingly.</p><p>"Yay! We're home now!"</p><p>In no time at all, the little boy hopped down from the spaceship and ran towards the house, where of course, it did not take long for the elephantine parents to notice a gigantic alien spaceship had landed in their front yard. But upon seeing their son, all confusion turned to pure happiness and joy.</p><p>"Mommy! Daddy!" Eli yelled out happily.</p><p>"Son!"</p><p>"Oh my sweet baby boy!"</p><p>Being elephants, the parents were predictably enormous but otherwise looked like a normal human couple- the mother wore an apron dress with polka dots, while the father sported a mustache underneath his tusks and wore a business suit and tie. The scene was actually quite touching, however.</p><p>"We feared we'd lost you," the mother said, tears flowing freely down onto her wrinkly, gray face as she and her husband embraced their son. "Where did you go? How-"</p><p>"Shhh, enough Elda," the male said soothingly though tears touched upon his suit as well. "Our son has returned to us. It is a gift from the heavens."</p><p>"I'm alright, mommy. I swear."</p><p>Morty couldn't help but shed a few tears of his own as he looked on. Even Beth seemed somewhat moved by the touching scene though kept a strict distance.</p><p>"Seems like this worked out okay," she observed quietly. "A reunited family able to live their lives in peace. I'd say you did a good job.</p><p>"More praise than I've ever gotten from Rick," Morty uttered not quietly enough underneath his breath.</p><p>"You don't need to try and hide it from me. We both know it's true."</p><p>Mother and son quietly took in the emotional impact for a few more moments, a quiet nod to the deed they had completed. By the same token something else weighed down the mood. An ever present factor in each of their lives.</p><p>"Why can't Rick see the importance of moments like this? I don't understand."</p><p>Space Beth took a swig from a flask that looked suspiciously similar to the one her father also carried.</p><p>"It's not that he can't see the importance. It's that he chooses to ignore them."</p><p>Draining another splash of brown liquid, she gave a belch and indicated to Morty the time had come to leave this planet.</p><p>Morty followed without need for comment. He was too busy pondering whether or not Rick simply didn't care or chose not to.</p><p>Or even if he needed his grandfather at all.</p><hr/><p>Rick awoke to the sound of muffled jabbering going on in the garage, both intrigued and annoyed by the interruption of his rest. The lack of alcohol in his system meant picking his body off the bed wasn't as difficult as it otherwise would be but that was beside the point.</p><p>Wiping his eyes and throwing on a white lab coat he pushed down a large belch, a habit that more or less had become automatic even on nights he didn't feel the need to drown himself in a sea of alcohol and drugs.</p><p>
  <em>Probably Jerry and Beth arguing over where I've put his lawnmower again</em>
</p><p>But to his surprise, the sight that greeted him was not that of a struggling couple in a once almost failed marriage but Morty and Summer laughing with Beth...the space version...or his daughter. Either label worked considering he still couldn't remember which was which.</p><p>"The fuck is this?" he asked, dispensing with any potential 'good morning'.</p><p>"Oh good, morning <em>dad</em>," Space Beth remarked in a tone that indicated she had not quite forgiven him for his non-choice in wanting his daughter to stay around.</p><p>"Sweetie? What are you doing here? I thought you were off playing hero against the Federation...or fixing horses for a living, either is fine by me."</p><p>"I am fighting the Federation. But I also received a text from Morty here saying he needed help on an adventure that apparently you refused to help him with."</p><p>"W-we did it, Rick," Morty said brightly as the space version of his mother placed a loving hand around his shoulder. "We returned Eli to his home and nothing went wrong. It's all good."</p><p>But that did little to placate the perpetually pissed off and cynical seventy year old.</p><p>"Jesus Christ, Morty w-what did I tell you about getting involved in shit that doesn't concern you?"</p><p>"It did concern me, Rick," his grandson spoke defiantly. "And if I couldn't get your help then I'd find someone else."</p><p>Rick gave a huge sigh, barely containing his tired disdain.</p><p>
  <em>When is this kid going to learn? </em>
</p><p>"Your superior conscience is truly a marvel, Morty. But for all we know that species is hostile to humans or could have exported something to the equivalent of space measles and unleashed some horrible pandemic no one took seriously until it was far too late. In fact, le-lemme check just to make sure. I'll go get the probe."</p><p>"Ew," Morty and Beth said simultaneously.</p><p>"Okay, what did I just walk into?" Summer asked absendmindedly barely glancing up from her phone. "I'm just here to get space cigarettes from my awesome space mom."</p><p>"It's nothing sweetie," Beth waved aside. "Look, dad I scanned the planet. The civilization is scattered and still stuck in whatever the equivalent of the 1940s is for elephants. They don't have the ability to travel through spacetime. Worse thing about them is that they still roll around in their own shit for fun. If you don't believe Morty, believe me. Nothing was going to happen."</p><p>As always, Rick ignored that counterpoint in favor of his own importance.</p><p>"Regardless, you didn't <em>need </em>to do it. It was counterproductive and unnecessary."</p><p>"Well you..you know what, Rick? I don't think I really need <em>you</em> right now. I'm going to school."</p><p>Without another word he slung his backpack over his shoulder and stepped onto the cracked driveway, past the enormous X-Wing, not so much as giving an over the shoulder glance back. Summer merely gave a shrug and followed her brother out into the cool morning dew.</p><p>"See ya, mom err space Mom."</p><p>Though neither teenager bore witness, a flash of anger, hurt, and fear stretched across Rick's features which suddenly looked as old as his age and paler than glue.</p><p>"Dad?" Space Beth asked, taken aback by the lack of snarky, sarcastic retort.</p><p>"What? Erm...nothing. Do you want to...I dunno. Grab a drink or something?"</p><p>"Gonna take a raincheck on that. The resistance needs me and though I would love nothing more than a glass of wine, I'm choosing not to do so while you complain about some petty bullshit with Morty, Jerry, my counterpart or who else," came the indifferent reply as she walked back to her X-Wing and climbed the ladder. "But hey, at least you have yourself, right?"</p><p>It didn't take long before Space Beth revved the engine, raised the ship into the air and flew off unceremoniously up into the morning clouds and out of sight leaving nothing but suburban quiet to take its place.</p><p>This left Rick in an unfamiliar but an increasingly more frequent state of being: alone and unwanted by others.</p><p>"That X-Wing was gay," he muttered, but not before various flashbacks entered his mind. Something about the way Morty had spoken those words disturbed him.</p><p>
  <em>I don't think I really need you right now</em>
</p><p>Shaking his head, he pushed it down like every other piece of trauma festering inside his brain. At this point in his life, the universe's smartest man did what he did best; not think about it and if that didn't work, grab Morty midway through school on some other adventure.</p><p>Taking out a flask and draining the last bit of whiskey inside he decided to make himself some breakfast before beginning his nontraditional routine. Feeling the buzz coming on, he sighed and slumped towards the kitchen.</p><p>One more day to keep the demons at bay.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>There ya have it. First chapter. Next one should be up soon. As always leave a review and let me know what you think!</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>~The Wasp</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Control- Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Hey, everyone. So I'm going to update this with a bit of a plan. For the first part of this story the chapters will be split into two parts focusing on a particular theme, usually a vice that Rick struggles with in relation to his family or other people. Short chapters in other words, but I hope they will be powerful all the same. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>It's still early so let's see how we do the further along we go. I promise, big things are in the works. To those of you who have commented and liked thus far, thank you! There is so much more to come!</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>So without further ado!</strong>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>Chapter 2. Control- Part 1</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Sometimes there was nothing better than the sound of sci-fi tools clanging together against a backdrop of silence.</p><p>Rick Sanchez knew that all too well. He’d invented so many gadgets and devices over the years it brought him a strange sense of satisfaction. Catastrophic trauma and a degree of nihilism couldn’t beat that out of him anyway. Of course, he’d given up using them for any real purpose other than to achieve what he wanted most in a given moment which was usually one thing: take the universe for a ride and hang on for as long as possible. And the universe hadn’t thrown him off as of yet. Nothing else mattered. </p><p>Touching two wires together, he witnessed sparks flying as he tested the circuitry on a device designed to be able to shut down any high tech machinery with an electromagnetic pulse that could shut down any machine for five hours, rendering them useless. It would be an important factor in the next great adventure he’d be going on with Morty. The terminator dimension wasn’t one to mess around in. They’d need multiple laser guns, night vision goggles, a bucket of eels, and a hacksaw among other things.</p><p>
  <em>Speaking of, where is the little bastard anyway? </em>
</p><p>It was a Friday and though most fourteen year old boys were likely in school by now, Rick didn’t hold much respect for convention. By now, he’d usually be in the garage talking about some other such nonsense (Jessica most likely) while he’d pretend to listen before embarking on their destination, skipping school altogether. However, his excitable, naive grandson was not present at the moment. Something that occurred with far more frequency lately than for his liking.</p><p>In the weeks since defeating the Federation, he found the Smith family increasingly aloof and busy with other things. The revelation that Rick did not know which one of his daughters was the one he sired in his prior marriage did not create a true reaction- anger, sadness, indignation. On the contrary, life went on as before and ‘Space Beth’ as she now liked to call herself, embraced not shunned. Of course the irony was even after discovering that he mindblew himself and essentially avoided making a choice in asking his only child to stay or roam the stars, the rest of the family seemed to care less and less about what <em> he </em>wanted to do. Chief among them, Morty. An unwelcome development to be sure.</p><p>Finishing up the wiring and screwing in the case, he activated the device with the press of a button and the light on top flashed red to indicate it was on standby. It wouldn’t actually do anything until he switched the safety off; the shape was that of standard remote control with a silver antenna sticking out on top. Not particularly flashy, but sleek and effective. </p><p>Kicking aside one of Jerry’s toolboxes, he ignored the mustiness of the top shelf to ensure his portal gun had a full charge (they were notorious for losing battery rather quickly). They definitely couldn’t afford to be stuck on this planet. Slick Tick really wanted this princess to be rescued and giant robots designed to exterminate all organic would present something of a challenge, well for him a challenge equivalent to that of hooking up a jumper cable to a car and turning the ignition. </p><p>Picking through his stash of weapons, including one he thought his grandson might like for shits and giggles he entered through the door the led to the foyer into the kitchen where to his small surprise, the entirety of the Smith family were currently gathering. Even more surprising, the mood was harmonious.</p><p>“...can’t believe you found something so quickly. It’s incredible.”</p><p>“What can I say? I guess your old man isn’t so incompetent after all.”</p><p>Rick mentally cringed at the sound of Jerry crooning over some kind of success. It went against the laws of nature and was sure to inflate the ego of the man with the world’s lowest self esteem. Never a good combination.</p><p>“There are plenty of other things you’re incompetent at Jerry, don’t you worry,” he spoke in the most casual yet nastiest tone he could think of.</p><p>“Dad!” normal Beth spoke up in a bright chipper voice that pretended not to hear the insult. “You’re just in time to celebrate.”</p><p>“Celebrate what?”</p><p>“Well I don’t know if you’ve been spending too much time in <em> my </em>garage Rick but I just landed another advertising job and I start next Monday.”</p><p>
  <em>Yep definitely getting too big for his britches</em>
</p><p>“Congratulations, Jerry. You’ve gone from an unemployed cog in the machine to an employed cog in the machine. Anyway, Morty there’s a princess from a far off planet that’s been kidnapped by a planet filled with cyborgs. Someone’s paying a hefty reward for her rescue.”</p><p>Usually the promise of adventure, boobs, or both was enough to engage Morty’s one track mind but much to Rick’s chagrin that did not end up happening.</p><p>“O-Oh, gee Rick I..umm…”</p><p>“Come on, Morty. S-She’s beautiful, mature, and rich. From what I hear she *belch also likes short guys still going through puberty.”</p><p>This caused a round of concern from the parents.</p><p>“Real nice,” Jerry muttered.</p><p>“Dad, no offense but you can’t bribe my son with underage potentially predatory sex with an adult woman,” Beth added, being the true voice of authority.</p><p>“Relax both of you, she’s seventeen and therefore her potentially bumping uglies would be a perfectly normal occrruence. It’s not something out of a Van Halen song.”</p><p>“You’re still tempting our son with the promise of relations with a young woman older than he is,” Jerry continued to push back.</p><p>“I’m an opportunist not a hypocrite, <em> Jerry </em>,” Rick sneered at the name of the biggest simpleton he’d ever known. “While you’re off doing yet another nine to five until you either die or somehow scrounge enough money to live without relying on a social security check, I’ll be doing whatever the fuck I want to do. At the very least Morty can get some tail.” </p><p>It was then that Morty finally stepped in, seeing as per usual, no one bothered to aks his opinion.</p><p>“Enough, alright?” he said a bit more forcefully than usual. “L-Look mom and dad, i-i-it’s cool. Rick takes me on adventures all the time, some of them pretty messed up, some of them only slightly less messed up but I always come back in one piece...most of the time.”</p><p>“See he’s cool with it,” Rick pressed his advantage. “If you want I’ll even ask ‘permission’-” he said putting up air quotation marks. “-so you’ll feel better about it.”</p><p>“It’s the end of April. Morty’s already missed more than half the semester. He can’t be gone all the time this late in the school year,” Beth countered.</p><p>“Believe me he learns a lot more going on adventures from me than whatever hack is in the Department of Education these days.”</p><p>“He’s going to school, Rick.”</p><p>Morty again had to interrupt, feeling a bit irritated that everyone felt the need to speak for him, even if technically those doing so were his legal guardians. </p><p>“Guys, please stop arguing. My grades are fine,” he reasoned, though he conveniently left out the part where Rick had hacked into the school’s records and changed his D’s and C’s to B’s and A’s. “And I’m more than happy to go on an adventure-”</p><p>Rick huffed impatiently.</p><p>“Exactly now let’s go M-”</p><p>“But I can’t go on one today.”</p><p>There was a pause in the room and even Summer looked up from her phone at the development. To the knowledge of everyone present, this was the first time Morty declined to go on an adventure with Rick.</p><p>“What?” the seventy year old asked, clearly nonplussed.</p><p>“Ordinarily I’d say yes, but..um...I finally got a date with Jessica.”</p><p>Immediately there was a round of congratulations.</p><p>“Oh my little boy, that’s so amazing!”</p><p>“Omg, I definitely have to tell Tricia and Nancy about this. Brad is going to be so pissed.”</p><p>“Going on a date with a girl your age. Now <em> that’s </em>normal.”</p><p>“Trust me, Jerry. Normal is a relative term and one you have little concept of beyond your own blandness,” Rick shot back. He never missing a chance to denigrade Jerry whenever he got too ‘uppity.’ But that was beside the point.</p><p>“Morty, you have an entire cycle of hormone addled craziness to chase girls who in the end won’t matter except inside of a dusty yearbook. How many times do you get to re-rescue a princess who may also have the ability to give felatio without breathing for twenty minutes?”</p><p>“It’s not about that, Rick,” Morty countered. “I’ve liked Jessica for a really long time and we’ve really started to connect lately...you know? This is my big chance.”</p><p>Rick’s disbelief slowly shifted to a rising tide of anger that the levis of his patience barely contained.</p><p>“Morty how else can I say this? Cool robots...sci fi gadgets...a princess who would make Jessica look like Sarah Jessica Parker in comparison…”</p><p>“He’s also getting paid,” Summer droned. “Otherwise what’s the incentive?”</p><p>“Wow way to assume the worst in people, Summer.”</p><p>“What? Am I wrong?”</p><p>“No, it’s just typically one dimensional of a self absorbed seventeen year old to assume there’s only a single reason why I’d save a princess from captivity. Ask Morty.”</p><p>At this point Beth had had enough of the back and forth, sighing heavily.</p><p>“Look, dad. I don’t want you ruining this for Morty. So if I hear that you dragged him out of school or sabotaged this in any way you’re going to be <em> very </em> sorry.”</p><p>It was a far cry from even months prior when she had allowed he and Morty to essentially do as they pleased without asking any questions. But if there was one member of the family he couldn’t manipulate as easily, Beth by far proved the greatest challenge and threat to his autonomy. He ended up relenting in the face of a very pointed finger placed an inch from his chest.</p><p>“Fine, whatever,” he huffed, raising his hands in defeat.</p><p>“Jerry and I are going out to brunch to celebrare. I suggest you find something productive to do while the kids are at school.”</p><p>Rick barely contained his disdain as he watched Beth and Jerry grab their things and walk out the door to the car.</p><p>“Hey Sum-Sum, you wanna tag along on this one?”</p><p>“Much as I’d love to be sloppy seconds to Morty, I just got a text that Toby Matthews is going to be coming in from football practice without a shirt sooo….yeah.”</p><p>The redhead quickly headed out the door, the latter of whom gave a sympathetic look to his grandfather before following Summer on their way to a rare day of full time academia. Rick was unaware of this, however, and as the sound of a car driving off into the distance slowly dissipated from his ears the same nagging feeling reentered the dark recesses of the soul: the family didn’t really need him as much as he thought they did. </p><p>For about five minutes, the seventy year old stood stock still before finally opening the refrigerator, taking out a carton of orange juice, pouring the entire contents of his flask into it and draining nearly half of it.</p><p>Not even bothering to wipe the combination of drool and vomit off his chin, Rick moved himself back to the garage, now closed, and pulled out a remote and pointed it towards the main tool shelf. However, he hesitated.</p><p>
  <em>Come on, man. It can’t be like this. Since when does Jerry get a congratulatory brunch over finally getting a job? Since when does Morty say ‘no’ to an adventure? You’re losing your edge, man. When did you become such a pussy?</em>
</p><p>The reasonable part of himself, though often drowned out by dark impulses and alcohol tried to fight back. It was only one time, only one instance in which Morty seemed to have more interest in something other than an adventure. After all, why not should he not be happy for the little guy in finally mustering the balls to ask a girl out when he’d just as soon as make fun of him for <em> not </em>doing so.</p><p>But the dark thoughts returned, swirling around him whispering like ever present ghosts seeking to remind him of past traumas he’d sooner block out.</p><p>No, none of this was acceptable. Losing control was not an option.</p><p>He pressed the button and flipping around from the back wall appeared a familiar face: his old friend and companion Bird Person.</p><p>The name didn’t seem appropriate given his state resembled more machine than any half bird/half person. Rick had been working on trying to rebuild a semi organic, bionic body which currently lay in separate pieces. Only Bird Person’s torso, head and shoulders were connected. The arms, pelvic area, legs, and feet remained as of now, unassembled.</p><p>Taking another swing from the orange juice carton, the world’s smartest man felt a surge of tremendous guilt ravage his heart. ‘Bird Person’ didn’t really sound accurate anymore, neither did ‘Phoenix Person’. Whatever kind of person that still lay inside, he’d be lucky to be a shell of the former bird humanoid that once existed. Rick had hesitated on this project for many reasons but chief among them lay a confounding ethical dilemma.</p><p>
  <em>Will he really be the same Bird Person? Is it cruel to bring him back like this? Will he remember it’s my fault?</em>
</p><p>Rick drained the carton, finally feeling something of a buzz coming on. He’d need more later but it would do for now. There was more important work to be done.</p><p>“Hey there, pal,” he said, grabbing a nega 3000 power drill from the work bench. “I hope you won’t take this personally.”</p><p>Quietly as could be for a mad scientist, Rick set himself to work.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>And what could Rick be doing to BP in this situation? Find out soon in the next update!</strong>
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  <strong>~The Wasp</strong>
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